Breech mechanism



D. F. ASBURY.

BREECH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13,1920.

Patented May 16,1922;

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n. F. ASBURY.

BREECH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, I920.

1,41 5,9 12. Patented May 16, 1922.

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BREECH MECHANISM.

APPLICATIQN FILED JULY 1-3, 1920.

Patented May 16, 1922.

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D. F. ASBURY.

BREECH MECHAMSM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13,1920.

D. F. ASBURY.

BREECH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION mu) JULY 13,1920.

1,41 5,912. Patented y 16, 1922.

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TATES BREECH MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patgnted May 16, 1922.

Application filed July 13, 1920. Serial No. 395,889.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Donsnr F. .AsBURY a citizen of the United States,and resident of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful improvements in Breech Mechanisms, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My inventlon relates to breech mechanisms and particularly those whereinrotation of the breech plug is necessary to effect locking and unlockingthereof.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide operating meanswhich is connected to the breech plug at diametrically opposite points;to provide a breech mechanism which embodies only one reactionary actingbearing; to operate the breech plug by a mechanism having only rotarybearings which partake of very little rotary movement during suchoperation; to retain in my improved mechanism the method of hand leveroperation disclosed in U. S. Patent 1,020,849; to simplify the carrierconstruction by providing a mechanism which is attached to the carrierand plug by. detachable pivot pins at points easily accessible; to applythe operating force through two levers one of which compounds the forceof the other; to so arrange the levers that any force emanating from theplug when the latter is locked is inelfective to move the mechanism; todivide the fore and aft travel of the plug due to the lead of the plugand screw box threads with respect to the axis of the hearing which isstationary with respect to the carrier, to reduce the theoretical errorin both bearings of the actuating lever during operation to a minimum;to enable the plug and mechanism levers to be disassembled while theplug is in any rotary position or the mechanism is in any position ofswing; to utilize the pivot pins of the plug operat ing member to carrythe plug rotating roller and to hold the plug to the carrier; to utilizea single boss on the plug to connect the plug rotating roller and plugoperating member; to rotate the plug through the instrumentality of twolevers one of which generates in its movement a portion of a conicalsurface and the other a portion of the base of a cone including theconical surface generated by the first named lever; to provide a breechmechanism in which the necessity of machining the parts is eliminated toa large extent and the cost of manufacture thereby greatly reduced; toprovide a breech mechanism embodying an operating toggle effectiveimmediately upon any slight movement of the hand lever;to provide abreech mechanism in which all connected parts are visible and accessiblefor oiling and disassembling; and to produce a mechanism in whichabsolute alinement of incorporated bearings is not required inmanufacture.

In the drawings chosen to illustrate my invention the scope whereof isset forth in the claims:

Fig 1 is a rear elevation of a gun provided with a breech mechanismconstructed in accordance with my invention with the mechanism locked; I

Fig. 2, a side elevation of the breech end of a gun provided with. mybreech mechanism, the latter being locked and the actuating handle orarm being also shown in dotted lines in the position it would occupywhen full unlockin rotation has been imparted to the breech plug;

Fig. 3, a plan view of my improved breech mechanism with the parts inthe position they would occupy when the breech plug is partially rotatedtoward unlocked position;

Fig. 4C, a view similar to Fig.2 with the carrier swung to full openposition; and

Fig. 5, a section on the line .5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings 10 indicates the gun, 11 the hinged carrierprovided with the usual spindle 12 on which is slidably and rotatablymounted the breech plug 13. This plug is desirably of the threaded typeshown in U. S. Patent 1,020,849 and coacts in the well known manner.with an internally threaded screw box 14 suitably mounted in the breechend of the gun. The threads of the plug and screw box in this instancehave a predetermined lead so that the plug in looking and unlocking hasa slight fore and aft movement on the spindle 12, but it will beobserved that my invention is equally applicable to breech structureswherein the threads of the plug and screw box have no lead.

My improved mechanism for efiecting locking and unlocking rotation ofthe plug 13 comprises an actuating arm or lever 15 which is pivotallymounted on the carrier 11 through the instrumentality of a detachablepivot pin 16. The position of thepivotal axis of the arm 15 is such thata continuation thereof will intersect the axis of t plug 1. u ably p dedon the. e

face of the plug 13 are diametrically opposite pairs of bosses 17 and18. The pairs of bosses l7 and 18 detachably support respectively pivotpins 19 and 20 having a common axis which intersects the axis of theplug 13. The mechanism further em- -bodies a plug operating member 21one end of which has a rotatable and non-slide.- ble bearing connectionwith the arm 15 at 15 while the other end is forked to form arms 22 and23 which are pivotally engaged on the pins 19 and 20 respectively. Theposition of the m ember 21 is such that its axis intersects the axis ofthe plug at right angles and in the case of a plug having threads withno lead said axis of the plug operating member also intersects thepivotal axis of the arm 15 in the axis of the plug.

However, where the plug and screw box have lead threads, as in thepresent in stance, the plug of necessity has slight though hardlyappreciable fore and aft movements on the carrier and in order to permitthese slight movements of the plug without interference with theoperation of the other parts of the mechanism I utilize an allowabletolerance of manufacture in constructing the parts, which tolerancereduced to substantially one-half by arranging the parts so that. thepoint of intersection of the pivot axis of the actuating lever 15 withthe axis of the plug is disposed to the rear of the point ofintersection of the axis of the plug operating member with the axis ofthe plug when the latter is locked and forward of said point when theplug is unlocked.

In order to hold the plug 13 to the carrier I extend the inner ends ofthe pins 19 and 20 respectively into grooves 2 1 and 25 provided in thecarrier and rotatably engage the ends of said pins in bearing blocks 26and 27 respectively which slide snugly in said grooves during rotationof the plug.

I construct these grooves 24: and 25 with or without lead depending onwhether the plug and screw box threads are constructed with or withoutlead.

In the form of my invention illustrated I utilize the energy stored upin the mechanism while swinging it into thebreech to initiate a lockingrotation of the plug 13 and also utilize unlocking rotation of the plugto initiate opening swing of the carrier 11. To this end I rotatablymount on the pin 20 a roller 28 which coacts with a cam 29 fixed on thegun to produce the results just stated.

In respect to the assembly of the mechanism it' will be observed thatthe pin 20' performs the triple function of securing the operatingmember 21'to'the plug; holding the plug to the carrier, and forming aspindle support for the roller 28 while the pin 19 performs the dualfunction of securing the operating member, to the plug and holding theplug to the carrier.

I claim 1. In a breech mechanism, a rotatable plug, an actuating lever,a. plug operating member, a bearing connection between one end of themember and plug, and a bearing connection between the other end of themember and lever, said last named bearing connection having its axisdisposed longitudinally of the member.

2. In a breech mechanism, a rotatable plug, an actuating lever, a plugoperating member, a bearing connection between one end of the member andplug, and a direct bearing connection between the other end of themember and a part fixed relatively to the lever, the axes of saidbearing connections being disposed at right angles to each other and inthe same plane.

3. In a breech mechanism, a rotatable plug, an actuating lever, and aplug operating member connected to the plug by a pivot and directlyconnected to the lever by a cylindrical bearing. 1

1. In a breech mechanism, a rotatable plug, an actuating lever, and aplug operating member connected to the plug for pivotal movement onlywith respect thereto and directly connected to the lever by acylindrical bearing.

5. In a breech mechanism, a rotatable plug, an actuating lever, and aplug'op'erating member, one end of which is connected to the lever andthe other end pivotally connected to the plug, the axis of said pivotalconnection being fixed with respect to the plug during all movements ofthe latter.

6. In a breech mechanism, a rotatable plug, an actuating lever, and aplug operating member having bearing connections with the plug and leverrespectively, the axis of the bearing connection between operatingmember and actuating lever being always disposed in a plane includingthe axis of the plug. I I

7. In a breech mechanism, a rotatable plug, to the plug by a pivot whoseaxis is at right angles to and intersecting the axis of the plug.

8. In a breech 'mechanism, a carrier, a rotatable plug, a plug operatingmember pivoted to the plug, and an actuating lever pivoted to thecarrier and connected to the plug operating member, the axis of each ofsaid pivots intersecting the axis of the plug at right angles.

'9. In a breech mechanism, a carrier, a rotatable plug, a plug operatingmember pivoted to the plug, and an actuating lever pivoted to thecarrier and connected to the plug operating member, the axis of each ofsaid pivotsintersecting the axis of the plug 1 rotatable plug,

at right angles at substantially the same point.

10. In a breech mechanism, a carrier, a a plug operating member having arotary connection with the plug, an actuating lever having rotaryconnections with the carrier and plug operating member respectively, theaxes of all of said rotary connections intersecting the axis of the plugat substantially a common point.

11. In a breech mechanism, a carrier, a rotatable plug, a plug operatingmember having a rotary connection with the plug, and an actuating memberoperatively connected with the plug operating member, the

' axes of the latter and said rotary connection intersecting the axis ofthe plug at a common point.

12. In a gun, a carrier, a rotatable plug, a pivot pin mounted on theplug, an operating member pivoted on said pin, a cam on the gun, andmeans on said pin for cooperation with said cam.

13. In a breech mechanism, a carrier, a rotatable plug, a pivot pinmounted on the plug, an operating member pivoted on said pin, a cam onthe carrier, and means on said pin for cooperation with said cam.

.14. In a gun, a carrier, a rotable, plug, a pivot pin mounted on theplug, a plug operating member pivoted on said pin, a cam on the gun, anda roller on the pin for cooperation with said cam.

15. In a gun, a carrier, a rotatable plug, a pivot pin mounted on theplug, a plug opating member pivoted on said pin, a cam on the gun, a camon the carrier, and elements on the pin for cooperation with said camsrespectively.

16. In a breech mechanism, a carrier hav ing a spindle, a plug rotatablyand slidably engaged on said spindle, a pivot pin mounted on the plugand having interlocking engagement with the carrier to hold the plugthereon, and an operating member pivoted on the pin.

17. In a breech mechanism, a rotatable plug, a pivoted actuating lever,a plug 0p erating member having one end connected to the lever and itsother end forked to form arms, fixed with respect to the member andmeans fixed with respect to the plug and pivotally connecting said armsto the plug.

18. In a breech mechanism, a carrier having a spindle, a plug rctatablyand slidably mounted on said spindle, diametrically opposite pivot pinsmounted on the plug, and interlocked with the carrier to hold the plugthereto, an actuating arm, pivoted on the carrier, and a plug operatingmember having one end connected to the arm and its other end bifurcatedand its furcations pivotally connected to the plug by said pivot pinsrespectively.

19. In a gun, the combination with a carrier and a rotatable plug havinglead threads coacting with corresponding threads on the gun, of a plugoperating member pivoted to the plug, and an'actuating lever pivoted tothe carrier, both of said pivot axes intersecting the axis of the plug,the point of the actuating levers pivot axis intersection with the axis01 the plug being to the rear of the point of the plug operating membersaxis intersection when the plug is locked and forward of said point whenthe plug is unlocked.

20. In a breech mechanism, a rotatable plug, and a plug operating memberpivoted to the plug and moving with the plugs rotation, the pivotalmovement of said member being first away from the plug and then towardthe plug during each locking rotation of the plug and during eachunlocking rotation of the plug.

21. In a breech mechanism, a carrier, a rotatable plug, an actuatinglever pivoted on the carrier, a plug operating member pivotallyconnected to the plug and r0tatably connected with the lever, thepivotal axis of all of said connections being in the same plane when theplug is locked.

. DORSEY F. ASBURY.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. SIGGERS, FLORENCE A. BLINN.

